Simple yet sophisticated, these delicate rubber-band-powered airplanes fly through the air as if in slow motion. The hobby and its product are “a mixture of arts, and science, and technique.” The goal: Keep the lightweight plane flying for as long as possible.

Float, directed by Phil Kibbe, documents “the ultra-competitive sport of elite, stunningly-designed indoor model airplanes” through the experiences of Brett Sanborn and Yuan Kang Lee, two American hobbyists who are preparing for the F1D World Championships in Romania. Above, the trailer. From their site:

After devoting years of time into construction and practice for no material reward, glory becomes their primary incentive… Competitors spend countless hours anxiously hunched over workbenches, delicately assembling sophisticated components of the plane to achieve minimum weight. Float highlights the precise process of how these planes are built and the science that explains how they fly. It’s a game of microns and milligrams as they slice paper thin sheets of balsa wood and delicately glue the gossamer airplanes together.

Next: Make an Air Surfing Foam Walkalong Glider.